The therapeutic effect and the changed serum zinc level after zinc supplementation in alopecia areata patients who had a low serum zinc level.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Uncontrolled before-and-after interventional case series
PubMed 20523772 · doi:10.5021/ad.2009.21.2.142
What was done
Fifteen alopecia areata patients with low baseline serum zinc levels received oral zinc gluconate (50 mg/day) monotherapy for twelve weeks. Serum zinc levels were measured before and after supplementation, and hair regrowth was evaluated using a four-point scale.
What was found
Serum zinc levels increased significantly from 56.9 µg/dL to 84.5 µg/dL. Hair regrowth was observed in 9 out of 15 patients (66.7%), though this overall response rate was not statistically significant. Patients with a positive therapeutic response had a significantly greater increase in serum zinc levels than non-responders (p=0.003).
Why it matters
This study provides preliminary evidence that oral zinc supplementation may assist hair regrowth in the subgroup of alopecia areata patients presenting with low baseline zinc levels.
Limits
The study was an uncontrolled, open-label trial with a very small sample size (n=15). Spontaneous remission cannot be ruled out due to the lack of a placebo or control group. The abstract does not specify disease severity, duration, or long-term follow-up beyond twelve weeks.
Cited by
- supports Zinc supplementation serves as an effective adjuvant therapy for alopecia areata in patients who have low serum zinc levels.